Protective cover for book jackets



Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROTECTIVE COVER FOR BOOK JACKETS Arthur Brody, Newark, N. J. Application May 29, 1947, Serial No. 751,429

1 Claim. 1

.My present invention relates generally to protective enclosures, and has particular reference to an improved protective cover for an embellished book jacket.

Books are customarily placed on sale with a paper jacket extending around the book covers and serving not only to protect the latter but also to enhance the appearance of the book and thereby attract readers and purchasers. The outer surface of the jacket bears printed matter and ornamentation relating to the contents of the book, and it is desirable that this colorful embellishment remain in association with the book as long as possible, especially during the period of its use in a rental library.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective device which is readily applicable to such a book jacket to form as assembly which may be secured to the book, usually by adhesive means, and which includes a transparent facing which protectively overlies the embellished surfaceof the book jacket and yet. allows the latter to be visibly exposed in the contemplated manner.

A more particular object lies in providing a protective device which is self-sustaining and capable of manufacture as an item wholly independent of the book jacket, and with which the book jacket may be separably associated, whereby the protective device may be used and re-used over a relatively long period of time.

p The invention aims further to provide animproved construction which is simple and economical to manufacture in: quantities and of selected sizes; which is composed of a minimum number of simple and inexpensive elements; which has increased wear resistance along its pposite edges; which simulates protective covers in which said wear resistance requires the use of additional binding tapes; which affords enhanced protection and reinforcement to the book jacket with which it is used; and which may be associated with and separated from a book jacket expeditiously and with a minimum of effort.

The improved construction consists, briefly, of a relatively thin flexible transparent facing adapted to overlie the book jacket to be protected, and a relatively stiff but flexible backing element adapted to underlie said jacket. The facing element has marginal extensions which are turned rearwardly along parallel lines of fold separated by a distance substantially equal to the width of the jacket to be covered. The backing element is also provided with marginal extensions, and these extensions turn forwardly along lines of fold nesting with the first-mentioned lines of fold. This provides a desirable double thickness along the opposite edges of the device.

The facing element and the backing element are held together as a unit by virtue of the fact that the extensions on at least one of the elements are adhesively secured to the other element.

Preferably, the backing element is of longitudinally-split construction, whereby the jacket to be covered may be removably inserted from the rear into protected sandwiched position between the facing and backing elements.

I achieve the foregoing general objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of the as.- sembled protective cover and book jacket, show- 7 ing a split backing element partly turned away from the book jacket at one end thereof, the assembly being ready for attachment to a book;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a book, showing the assembly of book jacket and protective cover attached to the book; and

Figure 4 is an enlargement of the upper end of Figure 2.

At D I have shown a book Whose covers I0 and l l are of the usual stiff character. When this book is sold to dealers or rental libraries, it is customarily associated with an embellished paper book jacket 0. The attractive device forming the subject matter of the present invention is designed to enclose the book jacket C, and consists essentially of a front transparent facing A, and a rear relatively stiff but flexible backing B. The facing is a thin flexible element which. may be composed of a sheet of regenerated cellulose, or of cellulose acetate or equivalent material. The backing B is preferably composed of paper, such as kraft paper.

The backing B is preferably split longitudinally, as indicated at l2, so that it consists of two separate parts, but this split construction is not absolutely essential in achieving some of the benefits of the present specific invention. Where the backing B is split by a single out, it is not essential that the edges of the two sections be left in abutting relationship. This results where a single sheet of backing material, such as kraft paper, is slit by means of a knife or equivalent tool, and the resultant sections are left in their original relationship. However, if the sections are adjusted away from each other after the slitting has been accomplished, or if the original strip of backing material is split by cutting out and removing a medial band, the two sections of the backing will not have their adjacent edges in the abutting relationship shown.

The facing element A is composed of a strip of suitable material wider than the width of the book jacket ultimately to be covered. Along its longitudinal edges, the facing element is provided with extensions I3 which are turned rearwardly along lines of fold I4, these lines of fold being separated by a distance substantially equal to the width of the book jacket which is to be covered. It is not important that the extensions l3 be of any prescribed width. For this reason, the same original strip of transparent material may be used in the manufacture of book jacket covers of varying sizes, it being merely necessary to provide the lines of fold M in the proper spaced relationship from each other.

The backing B is also provided with marginal extensions, as indicated at l5. These extensions are turned forwardly along lines of fold it which nest with the lines of fold i l. The parts need not necessarily be arranged in the manner shown, with the line of fold IS on the exterior, but this is the preferred construction.

The extensions on at least one of the elements are adhesively secured to the other element; and in the preferred practice of the invention the extensions on each of the elements are adhesively secured in place. That is, the extensions 13 are adhesively attached to the backing B, and the extensions l5 are adhesively attached to the facing A.

It will be noted that the resultant device provides a double thickness along its longitudinal edges. This is most clearly indicated in Figures 2 and 4. This double thickness affords desirable increased wear resistance along these edges.

It is also to be noted that the extensions l l: of the backing element are relatively narrow and are of uniform Width. These extensions are exteriorly visible, whether they actually lie on the outside of the facing element A as shown, or whether they lie beneath th facing A. In either case, they simulate a binding tape of the kind which is commonly employed, as an added element, to reinforce the edges of the book jacket cover. If the backing B is composed of colored paper, this simulation is enhanced; and the resemblance to a binding tape is also increased by having the extensions IS on th exterior, as shown.

In associating the book jacket C with the protective device illustrated, the two sections of the backing B are lifted, as indicated at the left of Figure 1, and this permits the jacket C to be inserted, from the rear, into sandwiched protected position between the facing A and the backing B.

Needless to say, the embellished surface of the book jacket C is laid against the transparent facing A. The insertion of the book jacket through the split backing is an expeditious procedure, involving a minimum amount of time and labor. The removal of the book jacket C from the protective enclosure is accomplished in the same quick way.

Where the backing B is not of the split character shown, but is a single continuous element, the book jacket C is inserted endwise into the spac between the backing B and the facing A, and is withdrawn in the same way.

While the protective device may be permanently retained in association with a book jacket, it is primarily intended for use with the jackets of books used in rental libraries. Such books, in the course of time, are sold as used or secondhand items, and at that time it may be desired to remove the protective enclosure and to re-use it in association with another book jacket. With this possibility in view, the protective cover is in each case preferably caused to have a length slightly shorter than the book jacket 0, whereby the latter has ends I! which lie completely exposed. This permits the assembly to be attached to the book covers l0 and II by pieces of adhesive tape l8 (see Figure 3) which engage only with the book jacket 0. In case the protective device is ultimately to be salvaged, the tapes l8 are disconnected, and the protective enclosure may be withdrawn in unmarred condition from the book jacket C which is then either discarded or replaced in original unprotected condition onto the book D.

The advantages of th present construction lie in the fact that it is composed of a minimum number of simple elements; and that it not only simulates, but has the reinforced edge strength and wear-resistance of, protective covers employing binding tapes.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A protective cover for an embellished book jacket, comprising a thin flexible transparent facing element adapted to overlie the jacket to be covered, a relatively stiff but flexible backing element adapted to underlie said jacket, said facing element having marginal extensions turned rearwardly along parallel lines of fold separated by a distanc substantially equal to the width of the jacket to be covered, and said backing element having marginal extensions turned forwardly along lines of fold nesting with the firstmentioned lines of fold, whereby a double thickness is provided along said lines of fold, said extensions on the backing element being adhesively secured to the facing element and lying exteriorly thereof, said extensions having relatively narrow and uniform widths to simulate binding tapes.

ARTHUR BRODY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,304,385 Sussman Dec. 8, 1942 2,445,871 Brody July 27, 1948 

